


Realised Desires

by LadyMeg



Series: Forgotten Secrets Triology [3]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, First Date, Fluff, Mulder just wants to make her happy, SO MUCH FLUFF, and surprise her, scully likes to drink a little when she's nervous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 22:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9848984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMeg/pseuds/LadyMeg
Summary: Things you said that made me feel real prompt || “Mulder. This was supposed to be a date. Why can’t you just stick to dinner and a movie like a normal person?!”





	

“Done and dusted, Scully. You must be losing your touch.” Coming over to where she sat, he leant against the desk and flicked through the paperwork neatly piled around her.

“Any plans for the weekend?” he asked casually, his interest now focused on the little black diary planner she kept near her at all times. He was very familiar with the book and the black pen which clipped to it. The damn thing had proved to be the cause of many a battle between them when she had first started working with him. Flight details, meetings, appointments were all neatly written out in her tidy handwriting. Any and every plan. Personally, Mulder didn’t understand the need to have one’s life written down - he found a well placed post-it worked just as well and besides, anything _really_ important, Scully would always remind him about…….Oh.

But now, he flicked through it aimlessly. Scully tutted and plucked it from his hands, placing it back down on her desk before turning back to her work.

“Nothing in particular” she answered him. Mulder hummed softly and picked the diary up again.

“Sure about that?” he asked, turning the pages.  Scully looked up at him and he could see irritation flash across her face.

“No. Nothing, thank you, Mulder. Now if you don’t mind, we haven’t all been able to process reports at a rate of knots today.” Mulder smiled.

“Well, you know what your memory is like, Scully. I wouldn’t want you to miss any important appointments or” - he paused momentarily before placing the diary pointedly in front of her on top of her papers - “dates. Have a good weekend. I’ll look forward to hearing all about it on Monday.” He grinned and left the office, humming slightly to himself. He could feel Scully’s eyes on his back and the confusion he had clearly caused was deliciously satisfying.

Scully, meanwhile, looked at the closed door for a moment before looking down to the diary. What the hell was he up to? Slowly, she picked up the book and flicked through the pages until she reached the week’s date and her eyes were immediately drawn to the out of place writing.

Beneath the usual Friday meetings, the reminder it was a friend from college’s birthday and the note to buy more coffee for her apartment was two lines scrawled in a hand which wasn’t hers but was almost as familiar.

_M. picking me up at 7pm._

_Note to self: Must wear something ~~nice sexy~~ not a pantsuit_

Scully read the entry four times before a slow smiled crept over her face. It had been two weeks since their haunted house excursion and she had been waited for Mulder to bring up the topic of a date again, but every time she had thought he was about to, he had changed direction and asked her out for dinner or, in one particularly close call _Scully… I know I’ve asked before and…it’s kind of been ignored or whatever, but if I asked you to… close the office door would you do thatformeplease, sorry, nevermind._

She’d closed the door a little more forcefully than she had intended.

Reading the entry one more time, Scully made the decision that just this once, the paperwork could wait until monday.

-x-x-x-

Looking through her closet, Scully sighed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she was used to this whole getting-dressed-up thing. She wasn’t even really sure what she was supposed to wear on a date anymore. Her wardrobe mainly consisted of skirts and pants which she wore for work, occasionally removing a blazer and using them for the odd drink with college friends who were in town or old academy friends who wanted to “catch up” but always seemed to end up seeking confirmation of Mr and Mrs Spooky. Making her way to the kitchen, Scully poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip to calm her nerves. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the night but the idea that her relationship with Mulder was on its way to shifting to something more than simply partners was nerve-wracking to say the least. With a sigh, she brought the glass back to the bedroom with her and set it down on her dresser as she turned back to the wardrobe and ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

There was a time when her clothing had a distinct divide between work and casual; Scully and Dana.  But somewhere along the way that line had very much blurred and only a few dresses remained, pushed to the back and hidden away. Dragging them out, Scully looked over her options. There was the white lace body which she had worn on a date a lifetime ago, but she dismissed that immediately. Momentarily she considered a simple black scoop neck dress which she knew flattered her colouring but decided Mulder had definitely seen her in enough black to last a lifetime and so she placed it back on the rail. Holding up a navy blue strap dress to her body, she turned in the mirror. She had purchased it on a whim a couple of months ago but had yet to wear it. Taking  it off of the hanger and slipping it over her head, Scully twisted and inspected herself. The simple dress clung to her body and the neck was cut low, draping over her cleavage in a way which elicited a nod of approval from her. This would do the job nicely.

Checking the time, Scully saw she had an hour and a half before Mulder was due to pick her up and although his time keeping usually left a lot to be desired, she was fairly confident today he would be bang on time. Taking the dress off and laying it on the bed, she took another sip of her wine before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

-x-x-x-

The knock on the door startled Scully and she just managed to stop herself from marking her cheek with her mascara wand. Stepping back from the mirror, she smoothed her dress over her hips and fluffed her hair one more time, taking a deep calming breath. As expected, it was spot on 7 and she took a step towards the door before changing her mind, turning and downing the last few mouthfuls of her second glass of wine. The first glass had gone down just a little too easily but she had only debated a refill for a few seconds before deciding, blow it. She needed it.

Quickly making her way to the door, she took one more calming breath before opening it. On the other side, Mulder stood with a single rose in his hand. She smiled at the sight of his nervous face and lopsided smile on his lips. He was looking particularly dapper in a dark blue suit and crisp white shirt. Reaching out, Scully traced the lapel of his blazer between her forefinger and thumb.

“Looks like we co-ordinated” she said, her voice softer than she intended it to be. Mulder smiled down at her and nodded.

“Looks like.” His eyes traced over her, taking in her dress, heels, wrap and carefully applied makeup. A moment of silence passed between them as he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

“Scully you look amazing” he finally managed, to which Scully rolled her eyes but the slight blush which rose to her cheeks gave away her appreciation of the complement. She had spent the time she was getting ready flipping between thinking she looked acceptable to thinking she looked completely foreign to herself and far too over-dressed. She’d wiped away the black from around her eyes twice before she had finally decided that she would stick with the much heavier application than she usually wore. It was strange seeing her face done up so carefully. It had been a long time since she had felt unequivocally feminine and she wasn’t really sure how to wear that anymore.

“You don’t look too bad yourself” she offered back. Mulder smiled before seemingly remembering the flower in his hand. “Oh, er, this is for you” he told her, thrusting the rose forward awkwardly. “I was going to get a whole bunch but thought it was kinda of excessive. But I wanted to get you something. I know you like lilies but I couldn’t find any and -” Scully cut off his babbling by covering his hand.

“It’s perfect, Mulder” she told him. Mulder looked down at her and internally gave a sigh of relief. It occurred to him that he hadn’t even said hello yet. On their first date, he hadn’t even greeted her properly. Deciding to amend that immediately, he lent down and placed a tender kiss on Scully’s cheek, lingering just a little too long and taking in the heady scent of her perfume; some kind of musky, floral thing which he had definitely never noticed her wearing before. It was much heavier than the usual Scully perfume of choice, and far sexier. He very much approved.

Pulling back slowly, Scully gently took the rose from his hand and moving to the kitchen to put it in some water. Mulder followed her, noticing the half empty bottle of red and empty glass which she had left on the side as she busied herself with finding something small enough for the single flower.

“Nervous, Scully?” he asked, picking up the glass and shaking it in her direction. Scully turned with a confused crinkle between her brows.

“What?” seeing the incriminating evidence, she blushed ever so slightly. “Oh. Don’t flatter yourself, Mulder” she said, turning to the sink to fill a small vase with water. Mulder smiled to himself and wondered if she really thought she had got away with that. Considering his next move only momentarily, he took the couple of steps over to he and pressed his front flush to her back. His chin rested on her shoulder and his hands came down to land softly on her hips.  The gasp of breath she took definitely didn’t go unnoticed and she stilled, water overflowing from the glass in her hand. Leaning down, he took in another breath of that damn perfume before speaking into her ear.

“I thought about it too. But I’m driving” he said, voice low. Scully took a breath which wasn’t quite as controlled as she would have liked. Turning her head towards him, their faces were close - _too close, God, breathe, Scully_ \- and she blinked lazily.

“That’s a shame” she said, her voice low and sultry. Mulder hummed quietly and nodded ever so slightly in agreement before moving away from her completely.

“Come on, you. We have plans.” He waited patiently as she popped the rose into the water and placed it on the counter. Turning, she saw he had his hand outstretched waiting for her and she smiled as she slipped her hand into his.

The feeling of just how right that felt surprised her more than the action itself.

-x-x-x-

“Mulder, where exactly is it we’re going?” Scully asked eventually. They had been driving for far longer than she had expected and she was starting to wonder if he was bringing her to a restaurant by way of an X File in a different state. Two birds, one stone? Mulder shook his head and tapped the side of his nose.

“Only time will tell, Scully” he told her. Scully looked at the profile of his face in the streetlights which kept flashing past.

“Alternatively, you could just tell me” she deadpanned. She had assumed that Mulder would take her out to a nice restaurant but they had definitely passed all of her favourite places. She didn’t doubt for a moment that Mulder could pull of a surprise if he wanted to, but at the same time, the thought of a Mulder-plan made her slightly nervous, no matter how hard she would deny that if he were to ask.

“Spoil-sport. We’re not far now, don’t worry.” If you were to add up the total time she had spent in a car with Mulder, she was pretty sure it would equal weeks of her life. They had sped down roads chasing monsters, searching for mythical creatures, hunting shadows and extraterrestrials and meer mortals. But in all that time, they had never been speeding down a road towards the unknown location of their first date and she wasn’t entirely sure what topics of conversation fit that situation, so she kept quiet and instead watched the streetlights give way to trees and darkness. Her curiosity piqued, Scully sat up a little straighter trying to establish where exactly it was they were. Eventually, they took a turning off of the road down a sprawling drive way in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Gravel crunched beneath the wheels of the car and Scully’s head turned from side to side looking for any indication as to what they were doing here.

A large estate house with an elaborate ironwork gate lit by spotlights on the ground appeared around a corner and Scully’s eyes shot wide. Turning to Mulder, she saw the smile at the corner of his lips and frowned slightly.

“What is this, Mulder?” Finally, he turned to her for a moment.

“Just a little something I thought you’d like” he said simply. Scully expected him to approach the gate, but instead he pulled up in a small car park beside the grand house’s entrance and unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Ready?” he asked, looking over to Scully. He could see her shake her head and he laughed gently. “Come on. Where’s that Scully sense of adventure?” he asked.

“It goes into hibernation when she gets nervous” she said blankly, slowly unbuckling her own belt. Mulder laughed again and got out of the car, making his way around to her side. Taking her hand and helping her out, the pair looked up at the excessively grand house.

“I thought we could do a bit of exploring” Mulder said, his voice quiet in the night air. Scully looked at him and frowned.

“Seriously, Mulder. What are we doing here?” she asked, her need for control kicking in. Tugging on her hand, Mulder lead her over to the large double gates. Beside it was a smaller gate for people on foot and it took Scully a moment to realise Mulder had let go of her hand and was now bent over the lock, trying to get it to spring open.

“Mulder,” she hissed, “Mulder, what the hell are you doing?” he didn’t answer and she came up behind him to try and pull him away but he easily shrugged her off. Panic started to rise in her. He had taken her out here to god knows where and was now, what? _Breaking in_?  The bullpen would have a field day if they heard about this. The Spookies all dressed up being caught breaking into a ridiculously lavish house in the middle of nowhere. She would never live this down.

The squeak of the gate, which seemed impossibly loud in the dark, caught her attention again and she very nearly slapped the thrilled expression off of Mulder’s face.

“Come on, Scully. Adventure awaits” he whispered, eyes glowing with excitement. It was a look she had seen so many times, but never before had it meant she was about to trespass, be arrested and die of mortification the next time she had to face work.

“Absolutely not” she told him, and his laughter only furthered her irritation. Reaching over, he grabbed her hand once again and pulled her through the gate, her heels sinking into the gravel. She’d be annoyed about that tomorrow, she was sure. Right now she had bigger fish to fry.

“See. You’re already in now. You may as well just come with me.”

“ _Mulder._ This was supposed to be a _date_. Why can’t you just stick to dinner and a movie like a normal person?” she hissed and immediately regretted her choice of words as a flash of sadness crossed his face. She knew his kooky ways and weird reputation were a sore point for him and she wished she could take it back.

“You might want to take your shoes off. Don’t want your heels to get ruined” he ignored her words but the excitement in his voice was severely dampened and she felt her a pang of remorse hit her heart. With a sigh, she followed him as he pulled her off the gravel and onto the grass. As she reached down and pulled her high heels off of her feet, she wondered how on earth this man managed to get her to do whatever madcap thing he wanted. No matter how she resisted, she always ended up going along with whatever it was he wanted her to. When had she become so utterly susceptible to his charms? Wordlessly. Mulder took the shoes from her and they dangled from his one hand as his other clutched hers, his thumb smoothing over her knuckles lightly before he began to move again and pulled her across the grass. It was a gorgeous evening and the thin wrap she had around her shoulders kept her sufficiently warm.

Together, they moved through the night, skirting the border of the house quietly. Pressed against the side of the building, Mulder turned to her and pressed a finger to his lips with a soft shhh. Scully nodded, deciding there was nothing for it; she was going to have to go along with whatever the hell it was he had planned and hope she didn’t end up in a cell for the night. How did this become her life? She didn’t have time to ponder the question as Mulder pulled her along behind him, keeping close to the walls. As they reached the back of the building, he looked around and then guided her down a gravel pathway which lead away from the house’s garden. She hissed as she stepped onto the sharp stones and he immediately turned, picked her up by her waist and dropped her on the grass alongside the path. Together, they followed the winding pathway away from the house down to where the pathway cut through large flower bushes and trees. Scully looked around her, her pounding heart starting to slow as she realised that at least they would now be hidden from view if someone were to look out the windows. The path bent and curved through a well kept garden and then suddenly Mulder stopped and pulled her closer to him. The moonlight shone down and caught his features and she could see him smiling down at her. She cocked her head at him questioningly. His grip on her hand tightened.

“Ready?” he asked her and she took a moment to process the question.

“I have no idea what I’m supposed to be ready for, Mulder. But sure. Fine. Whatever.” He laughed quietly at her wording and she smiled up at him, glad he had taken her words in the way she had intended. Silently, he turned and directed her down a final bend in the path.

Scully gasped loudly. The trees gave way to a clearing where a gazebo had been set up, lit by small fairy lights draped over the white material and twined through the branches of the trees. A table was sat to one side beneath the gazebo with an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne perched on a stand next to it. On the other side, closer to the trees, cosy looking blankets were scattered all over the ground with giant pillows placed invitingly. Tea light candles in little coloured holders hung down from the branches of the trees throwing faintly coloured shadows onto the pillows and blankets underneath.

Scully turned to Mulder, completely speechless.

“Do you like it?” he asked, uncertainty in his voice. Scully let out a small disbelieving laugh.

“Mulder” she began, and then found words were failing her. Instead, she brought her hand which wasn’t wrapped in his up to Mulder’s cheek, raised herself onto her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She lingered there a moment before pulling away and grinning up at him. Slowly, a smile spread across his face, lighting his eyes. Her hand fell from his cheek and traced down his arm to his hand where she came across the shoes which were still dangling from his fingers.

“I should probably get those back on” she said quietly, not wanting to break the spell which had apparently been cast over them. Mulder nodded, dropping down and holding them out to her one at time and helping her slip them back on. Standing and steadying her as her sharp heels sank into the grass, he guided her over to the table with a hand placed firmly around her waist and managed to pull the chair out for her and sit her down. She mumbled a thanks as he took his seat opposite.

“So, just to clarify - we haven’t broken into someone’s garden and hijacked their romantic evening?” she asked. Mulder laughed and shook his head.

“You’ll be relieved to hear that no. This is definitely all for us.” He paused. “For you.”

“And the breaking and entering routine?” she asked, holding her glass out to him as he popped the cork of the champagne. Mulder had the good grace to look a little sheepish.

“I… I’m not sure how to do this date thing very well. I wanted it to be memorable.” Scully looked at him for a moment, mulling over his words.

“You didn’t think the date in the clearing of a woods with lights and champagne would be memorable?” Mulder shrugged. “So you added a faux-criminal element?” she continued, her voice teasing. He shrugged again, sitting down and lifting his glass. “Oh, Mulder. Well, I’m not sure if it’s all of this,” she gestured around her, “or the fact I thought I was going to be arrested, or just because I’m here with you but this is definitely a memorable date. You don’t have to worry about that.” Mulder smiled and in that moment she thought he looked so much like a shy little boy trying to hard to please that it made her heart hurt a little. Lifting her glass too, she tipped it towards his.

“To making memories, then” he said.

“To making memories.”

-x-x-x-

Dinner was brought over from the house by two nice men, one of whom nearly smacked Mulder in the face as he took away the cloche, causing Scully to hide her laughter behind her palm and Mulder to reassure the man that no, no, it wasn’t a problem, he had no reason to apologise and besides, look, it really entertained the lady.

They chatted over their food and Mulder surprised Scully when he rose, walked over to the edge of the clearing and came back with another bottle of ice cold champagne. He explained there was a small portable store for them set up just out of sight and there was plenty more where that came from.

The italian food was simply divine. Scully was defeated by the large portion of pasta and sat back sipping her drink as Mulder swapped their plates around and finished it off for her. It was an old habit, a familiar routine which had played out in many roadside diners and cheap burger joints all across the country but to see it happen here, in the warm evening air with her heel pressed into the grass and her hand curled around a cold glass of bubbles. Well, it was different but entirely pleasant.

The first dates Scully had been on before were filled with getting-to-know-you conversation. Where did you grow up? What are you looking for? How did you come to work in that field? But her and Mulder… they were so many years past those idle questions. So many years past her watching how much she was drinking in case she made a fool of herself. She’d been there, done that and he had brought her home and left tablets by her bed with a bottle of orange juice and a bag of chips because he knew it was her go-to hangover cure. She wondered if he was also relieved that they were so many years past no, really, the FBI has that unit and it’s in a basement, no, it’s not an addiction I just really like sunflower seeds and well, I had a sister for a quarter of my life but no, no siblings.

Instead, the conversation is filled with the easy talk they have fallen into over the years. Some conspiracy debate, some teasing, some eye rolling and, finally;

“Do you find this weird, Scully?” Scully paused for a moment, the glass stopping on it’s way to her lips. She thought about it for a second.

“Different? I guess. Weird?” she considered the word. “No, no I don’t think weird, Mulder. Do you?” He ate the last mouthful of her meal and placed his knife and fork down, pushing the plate away from him slightly.

“No, I thought maybe I would. But see you sat there… it seems normal somehow” Scully felt herself reddening under his intense stare and tucked her hair behind her ear self-consciously.

“Probably because I’ve sat across from you like this a thousand times before” she diverted. Mulder shook his head.

“No. That’s not it” Sipping the last mouthful of her drink, Scully felt the alcohol humming through her veins, not rendering her drunk but definitely giving her a greater sense of inhibition. Her finger reached out and traced the stem of her glass slowly, well aware his eyes were boring into her.  

“I can’t believe you did all this, Mulder” she said suddenly, her voice quiet. Mulder frowned.

“Why?” She raised her eyes to meet his and shrugged one shoulder, her finger still traveling up and down the stem.

“It just seems something someone would do for…” she struggled to find the right words, “for not me” she concluded.

“I don’t know what you mean, Scully” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and then reached over to refill her glass but Mulder got their first, refilling hers before topping up his own flute.

“Men just don’t do this kind of thing for me. This is the type of thing real women get, with all the lights and flowers and trees and…” she trailed off and indicated around her. Mulder simply looked at her for a moment, disbelief on his face.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘real women’?” he asked, his voice carefully controlled. Scully let out a quiet laugh and smiled at him. She didn’t mean her words to come off as self-deprecating as they probably had done, but she was surprised Mulder had gone to so much trouble for her. Mulder was a beer-and-take-out kinda guy, not a wine-and-dine-by-candlelight-under-the-stars kinda guy. Wasn’t he?

“Oh, I don’t know, Mulder,” she shrugged, “this is like one of those dates from a film or a magazine. One for those primped and polished women who know how to be all sexy and seductive and never get lipstick on their teeth. Not for women who chase aliens and who have a closet full of FBI suits but nothing to wear on a date and who have two glasses of wine before their date turns because they don’t remember what it is you actually _do_ on date anymore.” Mulder sits expressionless as she takes a deep breath after her rambled sentence.

“Okay, so a couple of things here, Scully” he says, standing up, reaching for her hand and pulling her to a space away from the table to where there are no pillows or blankets. He left her there for a second as he walked over to the old record player and put the needle on it. Soft music started to play and Scully realised there must be speakers hooked up around the clearing as the music seemed to come from all around her. Making his way back to Scully, he stood behind her and gently peeled the shawl from her shoulder.

“To start with, every woman has a wardrobe full of work clothes. They’re kind of a necessity.” He draped the wrap over the chair she had sat on throughout dinner before making his way back to her.

“Are you gonna disprove everything I’ve just said? It’s me who is supposed to do the debunking” Scully says with a roll of her eyes and a smile at the corner of her lips. She has a happy buzz and she feels a thrill shoot through her as Mulder stands in front of her, his eyes searching her face.

“Yeah, I am. So stand there and listen. Okay?” Scully sighs overdramatically, makes a ‘continue’ gesture and he nods in approval. “Secondly, the women who are constantly fixing their nails and their hair and their make up are probably wonderful people with great personalities, but it’s so easy to miss life passing you by when you’re that dedicated to your appearance. You, on the other hand, have struck that mysteriously perfect balance.” He stepped closed to her and lightly touched his fingers to hers, lifting them up and watching as he delicately intertwined his fingers with hers, his voice low and calming.  “Effortlessly seductive, sexy, intelligent, witty, sensitive and,” he dropped their joined hands to her side and pulled her into him,  “I’ve never noticed lipstick on your teeth.” She scoffed lightly and shook her head looking up at him.

“Well now I know you’re lying” she said, hoping to diffuse the thick atmosphere which was quickly descending. Mulder shook his head and placed his free hand on her hip.

“Absolutely not.” He started to sway with her gently to the music and the soft smile which lifted the corner of her lips made his heart skip a beat.

“Ready for the third point?” he asked. Scully laughed gently and nodded.

“Ready and waiting.”

“Okay, three. Films and magazines are overrated and full of lies”

“Says you who gets half your cases from magazines” she scoffed. Mulder, in retaliation, took three quicker steps in a circle, taking Scully by surprise and pulling her around with him, eliciting a yelp from her as her heels sunk into the grass once more. She pulled away from him momentarily and kicked her shoes off to the side, dropping several inches in height before returning to him and wrapping both arms over his shoulders to continue their dance. Mulder felt the same sense of wonder at just how small she was that he did every time he saw her without her heels. It never failed to surprise him how this powder keg of intelligence and confidence could come wrapped up in such a tiny human being.

“Four,” he continued, “is more of a question. Why do women who chase aliens and wondrous things not deserve romantic dates under the stars? Surely they deserve more of that? They know what they’re looking at.”

“I don’t know about aliens and stars, but they definitely know what they’re talking about when it comes to wondrous things” Scully said softly, her head tilted up to look at him.

“Everything seems kind of wondrous when you’ve had a bottle and a half of champagne” Mulder says, surprised that his words come out in a whisper. Scully lets out a small giggle but shakes her head. Her smiles drops and she suddenly looks completely serious, her eyes searching his.

“No. Everything seems kind of wondrous when you’re involved, Mulder” her voice is quiet and she thinks for a second that he may not have heard her, but all confusion is cleared up when he slowly leans down and his lips meet hers. Their kiss is gentle, a soft expression of years of growing affection, trust and love. His hands grip her hips tighter and pull her body closer to his as she shifts her arms from resting lightly on his shoulders to wrapping tightly around his neck, reluctant to let him go. The kiss is slow, neither of them in a rush to take things any further, rather enjoying a moment they weren’t sure would ever come. There had been so many times over the years they were _close_ to kissing, _close_ to admitting their feelings, _close_ to this, but something had always forced them onto another path.

Eventually, Mulder pulled away. Scully dropped her forehead to his chest and it took him a few seconds to realise her shoulders were shaking slightly. He had a moment of abject horror where he thought she was crying, but her soft chuckling soon reached his ears and he hooked a finger under her chin so he could lift her head and see why their first kiss was causing her to… laugh? She looked up at him and her laughter grew slightly louder, increasing his confusion.

“Mulder, I’m sorry” she said quietly trying to control herself. She brought one hand down and planted it firmly against his chest.

“Care to share with the class?” he asked, completely bemused. She finally managed to stop herself and looked up at him. It struck him that this view, this woman in front of him, may be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her, with her shoes kicked to one side and the soft light of candles and fairy lights softening her every feature, a dress so gorgeous someone should probably investigate it (probably him. It was definitely an X File, after all), and her blue eyes looking up at him with something akin to adoration. Well. Right above them is a deep black, clear night sky filled with bright stars which was his favourite thing and here he was looking at her instead. He thinks that says it all.

“I just… honestly, Mulder, I never thought this would happen and it’s surreal and unexpected and,” she looked up at him and shook her head, “amazing.”

“Wondrous?” Mulder asked giving her a lopsided, teasing smile. She thought about it for a moment, pretending to weigh the word in her mind. She pulled her bottom lip in and nodded her head slowly, eyes crinkled in contemplation.

“Wondrous” she confirmed, her thoughtful face giving way to a small smile. She seemed to become aware that the record had stopped playing and all that could be heard was the sound of their breathing. Pushing Mulder away by the hand on his chest, she directed him to put some more music on as she crossed the few steps to the table and took a mouthful of her drink. Mulder glanced back at her.

“Is this it, then? Now that we’re… whatever we are, you’re going to be drinking all day every day?” Scully raised an eyebrow at him in what he knew was her warning look.

“Couple of things,” she said, mimicking his earlier words and taking a few slow steps towards him as he straightened up, the music amended and playing again.

“Mmm?” he hummed, lifting his chin to tell her to continue.

“One. ‘Whatever we are’? What is it exactly we are?” Mulder looked up to the night sky and hummed in thought, wrapping his arms around her and resting his linked hands at the small of her back, careful to avoid the champagne flute still in her hand.

“Partners, of course” he said and she nodded. “Friends?”

“Mmmhhmm” she agreed, low and slow, her eyes sparkling as he began to gently rock them on the spot.

“Best friends?” he asked. She nodded and blinked slowly.

“I guess so”.

“What else? Emergency contact for the hospital”

“Very important.” He nodded in agreement.

“You’re my doctor but that’s not a two-way thing so… Okay what else. Lovers?” Scully grinned but raised her eyebrows.

“We haven’t loved yet” she told him with a wink, her voice light and far more girlish than he usually heard it. The sound made his stomach flip.

“Speak for yourself, Scully. Is that not a two-way thing either?” his question was teasing but she considered his words for a second. Through their reasonably light conversation was a thread of reality, of something much heavier. Of questions and admittance and feelings much bigger than either of them were really ready to admit on the first date and seventh lifetime.

“Okay. Lovers.” she said and she thought she heard a small sigh of relief escape him but she couldn’t really be sure.

“You had a second thing?” he asked and she silently thanked him for steering them away from all the implications of their last words.

“I did. Well remembered, you” She leant back from him and poked him in the chest a little heavier than she intended to.  “Okay. The second was this; who are you to criticise me for drinking when it was alcohol that got us here?” she asked, moving the hand from his chest back around him and her hand with the champagne flute closer to her so she could take a pointed sip.

“How do you figure that?” he asked. Scully looked at him like he was slightly crazy. He was used to that.

“If I remember correctly, it was you who got absolutely rudolph’ed, called me in the middle of the night and insisted that I simply must go on a date with you. So thank you very much, Jack and Jim. I should probably send them a souffle”

“Apart from the fact I’ve tasted your cooking and know they probably wouldn’t want it, I’ve been thinking about this. I can’t remember this conversation.”

“And?” she prompted.

“You can’t prove that I _actually_ asked you on the aforementioned date.”

“You did” she stated simply.

“How do I know this wasn’t all one big clever Scully ruse to get me to ask you out?”

“How would I have known you wanted to ask me out?” she countered.

“Because you’re a mind reader, of course. A telapathist. You’re an X File, Dana Scully. I should probably investigate.” he said, a flash of mischief in his eyes which Scully spotted easily.

“Maybe you should” she purred. Mulder reached down, took the glass from her hand and placed it on the table where they had eaten. Next, he wrapped his arms tighter around her, leant down to press his forehead against hers and started to walk her backwards to where the cushions and blankets lay.

“So tell me. What am I thinking?” he asked as her feet felt the the blankets. She didn’t answer, instead just held onto him, her hands pressed to his back.

“What am I thinking?” he asked again, guiding her over to the cushions and pushing her down onto them. He tried to guide her down gently but he seemed to take her by surprise and she let out a loud yelp and then peals of laughter as she let go of him, felt herself falling and then found herself suddenly sat on a pile of full, fluffy pillows.

“What am I thinking?” he asked one more time, lowering himself so he was in front of her on his knees. Slowly, he leant forward and placed one hand on either side of her hips and moved over her. A slow, sexy smile spread across Scully’s face as she moved away from him and leant back on her elbows until he was practically lying over her, their faces inches apart.

“Too easy. Why don’t you try it?” she asked, her voice low and her gaze constantly flitting between his lips and his eyes. “Tell me what I’m thinking.” She wondered if he could feel her heart hammering, wondered if her new-found bravery was down to alcohol or the mere presence of him, her Mulder.

“You’re thinking you wish I would just shut up and kiss you” he said, entirely confident in his guess. Scully quirked{ an eyebrow.

“Amaaaazing” she whispered. They locked eyes for a moment, the music playing gently in the background. She could see the lust in his face and she was certain it was being reflected straight back in hers. “So? Solve this X File, Agent Mulder.”

He certainly didn’t need to be told twice and it didn’t take long for Scully to stop thinking altogether. 

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to leave kudos on this little story. It's so incredibly appreciated.


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